Ellen Pompeo’s much-loved Meredeth Grey is ready to cultivate a life away from Seattle after being the central character on Grey’s Anatomy for 18 seasons. Now that the show is back after a mid-season break, she has had her farewell moment at Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital, and fans will not see Meredith again until the season 19 finale on May 26. Here’s how you can catch up on Grey’s Anatomy Season 19 outside the USA.
Pompeo, however, remains an executive producer on Grey’s Anatomy and a voice star, as Meredith will continue to narrate the show in her characteristic voiceovers. Furthermore, Pompeo herself told fans that she may be back on the show in her farewell post.
“This isn’t your first time on the roller coaster…you know the show must go on and I’ll definitely be back to visit,” she said on Instagram hinting that like many of her former co-stars, she may be visiting Grey-Sloan on and off in further seasons.
This development has been in the works for a while and was revealed ahead of the midseason finale of Grey’s Anatomy. At the time showrunners had said that Pompeo will be reducing her involvement in the long-running ABC series and that Meredith will only appear in eight episodes this season.
While Pompeo is scaling back, Grey’s Anatomy still has not announced if the show will be coming back for another season, especially since showrunner Krista Vernoff has announced her exit from the show and Shonda Rhimes has long said there would be no Grey’s Anatomy without Meredith Grey.
However, it was obvious that Meredith’s departure episode left the door open for the character’s plot to continue, indicating that she will hover in the background for the remainder of the season, as well as opportunities for her to return to Seattle for a potential 20th season if the Boston plan falls through.
“Don’t miss Meredith’s farewell to Seattle tonight,” said Grey’s Anatomy official Instagram, before the episode aired:
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In the episode, written by Vernoff and directed by co-star Debbie Allen, Meredith’s friends and coworkers threw her a farewell party after she revealed her plan to relocate her family to Boston, where she will continue her revolutionary work on a treatment for Alzheimer’s. When viewers saw the plane depart with Meredith and her three children, including Zola (Aniela Gumbs), whose early intelligence reinforced the family relocation, the episode committed Meredith to her decision.
During the farewell party, Meredith jokingly told her colleagues that she intends to return for visits. “I’m just travelling to Boston, and you know I’ll be back here next week,” she explained.
The romance storyline involving her and Scott Speedman’s Dr Nick Marsh was also left unresolved. Meredith and Nick evidently had a falling out when she told him she loved him in the midseason finale, and her sentiments went unreciprocated. Nick was unable to see Meredith before her aircraft took off, but he contacted her to tell her how much he loves her and has loved her since they met. His remarks were received with a smile, but Meredith told Nick she couldn’t hear him well since they were leaving, and she shut up the phone, leaving their relationship on a cliffhanger.
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In true Grey’s fashion, the episode’s title ‘I’ll Follow The Sun’ was an indicator of where Nick and Meredeth’s relationship stands while being a homage to Merideth’s best friend Christa’s (Sandra Oh) description of Merideth and Derek’s relationship. Her famous lines “Don’t let what he wants eclipse what you need. He’s very dreamy, but he’s not the sun. You are!” are still remembered and often quoted by fans all over the world.
Bringing the series a full circle, the episode concluded with three young physicians from the show’s fresh crop of interns (Alexis Floyd, Niko Terho, and Midori Francis) moving into Meredith’s now-vacant house.
While the show’s renewal hangs in the balance and the star herself has hinted that she would keep popping by on the show, Pompeo’s co stars also gave her a befitting sendoff with a series of Instagram posts and Twitter messages.
Rhimes in her farewell post for Merideth said: “What a journey these 19 seasons have been! Wouldn’t trade them (or you) for the world. Beyond excited for your next chapter. See you later, Dr. Grey.”
Pompeo replied to the post with a resounding: “Same Queen Same…. We certainly did the damn thing!!!”
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Harry Shum Jr, one of the fresh cast members wrote: You have left us with so much to look back on and more to look forward to.
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Anthony Hil, who plays Dr Winston Ndugu on the show said, “She is a blessing to countless people, and I’m one of them.”
I cannot say enough about this woman right here. She is a blessing to countless people, and I'm one of them. Thank you for giving us Meredith Grey. Looking forward to your next chapter E.P. 🖤🖤
Her farewell to Seattle is tonight, don't miss it! #GreysAnatomy #EllenPompeo pic.twitter.com/hUQRUzXAcP
— Anthony Hill (@AntHilll) February 23, 2023
“To know u is to love u,” said Kate Walsh who has had a long run with Grey’s Anatomy, making appearances every couple of seasons to help out on a case.
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Kevin McKid, who plays Dr Owen hunt on the show said, “Been quite the road Ell. You are missed, queen.”
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“Thank you for your warm embrace, for sharing wisdom and game,” was Kelly McCreary’s message:
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“Episode is an epic sea change for our Meredith Grey,“ Debbie Allen told fans:
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James Pickens said: “Hell of a ride! Thank you! Much love.”
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After taking a step back from Grey’s, Pompeo would soon be seen on a currently untitled Hulu mini-series, consisting of eight episodes centered on the true story of Ukrainian-born orphan Natalia Grace and the couple that adopts her. She is also an executive producer of the series.
